We’ve come to the end of this part of Isaiah - Isaiah 12 marks the close of this section of the book, and shows us a beautiful vision of what it would look like if God’s people fully enjoyed God as things were designed. Isaiah gives us a glimpse of what it would look like for us to live fully content, fully satisfied, with overflowing joy, delighting in God our perfect king and with Him delighting in us, his redeemed children.

This study will show us how God's people have a reason to sing and praise Him as they drink from salvation. How do we drink this water? How do we experience God so fully now that we are driven to sing and praise Him and proclaim His name?

News today can have quite a detrimental effect on mental health, so much so that softwares have been developed to censor news. The news often contain stories of war, death, geopolitical tensions and conflicts, disease, job loss, abuse and these show us that we live in a fallen and broken world.

Today, we will see in Isaiah that even when things look grim and hopeless, the Lord is working to restore and heal and unite and bless, and may we also see God at work in our world today.

In earlier chapters, God calls Israel a “godless nation” and “people of my wrath” (Isa 10:5-6). The “him” is therefore Assyria. Israel is living as a godless nation not because they have no God, but they chose to live as if they have no God! They are an apostate nation rebelling against Him! They acted without reference to God and continue to do evil. Thus, Assyria is like a saw in the hand of God (Isa 10:15). At the end of the chapter, God also addresses Assyria in (Isa 10:33-34). Though God is using them to judge Israel, He will also judge Assyria.

Thus previously, we’ve seen how through judgement for Israel. God’s wrath discipline them and also promises to punish Assyria for their pride. Today, we continue reading about God’s promise of hope and redemption.

How do we develop faith that doesn’t fear? There are many things we can fear in life. There is a stubborn pandemic. When we work, we fear tat we are not doing enough or being good enough. As students, we fear that we will fail exams or will not be able to get a job. There are also fears that we will not be married or that we will marry the wrong person.

Tonight’s text directly addresses how we develop and maintain faith in the face of fear, a faith that overcomes fear. In this text, God’s people face an Assyrian invasion. God tells them “be not afraid”. Let’s read these words and find in them both an encouragement and a challenge to us!

This entire book is centred on God as King. For instance, Isa 2 shows us the God who instructs people and Isa 9 speaks of King Jesus. The different characters we meet throughout Isaiah also show us different aspects of God’s kingdom. King Uzziah is afraid and that shows us that God is not fearful and provides us a firm foundation. Uzziah is also a king that passes away and in contrast, God is an eternal King that will not pass away! Isa 7-8 also shows us a fearful king Ahaz. In today’s study, we want to see what these verses show us about God who is our king.

This week, Isaiah turns his attention to the northern kingdom, Israel. As we read about terrible proclamations of judgment, here’s the clincher: God’s grace is not absent amidst wrathful judgment. Grace and judgment are not opposite ends of a seesaw.

This is a passage that we commonly encounter near or during Christmas, but today, as a part of our series in Isaiah, we are reading this passage not during Christmas. As we read this passage, we want to see who this Light is and also above all to come and worship.

As we read today’s passage, we will see how Isaiah and his disciples respond to the bad news of the Assyrian, When faced with the crisis and bad news of the Assyrian invasion, they continue to live contrasting lives to the ones around them. They fear the LORD above anything and everything, and they turn to his word, which leads them to hope in Him for deliverance.

We’ll start this study with a quote from John Calvin, where he reminds us that nothing makes sense until we understand that it all begins with God. As we read this passage, we need to remember that Isaiah isn’t writing about ancient geopolitics but is writing about God who has revealed Himself to him.

In these verses, God continues to speak to Ahaz and offers a sign to him. What can we learn from this section of Scripture?

To understand today’s passage, we need to understand a bit of the historical context. The historical setting of the divided kingdom and the threat to Judah is important because it explains why Isaiah was stressing the need for faith -- the theme of the whole book.

But more than just mere history, today’s passage is also relevant for us! It will also teach us how to face trials, and to learn to trust God.

As we continue to work through Isaiah 6, we’ll see what implications the holiness of God has for Isaiah’s ministry. What hope do we have amidst bad news?

When we were younger, it could have been easier to love the idea of a king but the older we got, we learnt about politics and flawed kings/authorities. We realised that some of them were tyrants and some ruled poorly and our experience with earthly authorities could influence our view of God as King. Isa 6 will show us how this King is different from the other kings that fail and disappoint. God is holy and set apart. and there is none like Him. He is enthroned and reigned not only in the time of Isaiah but also today.

We have been working our way through Isaiah over the past 9 weeks, and today marks the start of a different section. It is a one-verse study, but it is an important one for it sets up the context of the next section of Isaiah.

This chapter in Isaiah marks the end of the beginning and has a rather heavy flavour to it. Isa 5:1-7, the start of the chapter, is a love song. It showed Israel how God worked and invested so much in the vineyard and desired for the vineyard to bear good fruits. Instead of the desired good fruits, Israel bore wild grapes. This was to make clear the reality of Israel’s conditions before God. Israel was meant to and designed to bear good fruits, and God had done everything and provided everything necessary for growth (Isa 5:4). Yet, Israel bore wild grapes.

This is the last chapter in this prologue to Isaiah before Isaiah depicts the scene, in Isa 6 which most of us are more familiar with where he is called and appointed as a prophet. It opens with a song that tells us about the state of affairs. What sort of a world is it that the prophet Isaiah is called to speak God’s word into? We have heard of two Israels – which Israel will be sung of today?

In this study, we continue building on this coming day that Isaiah has been telling the people about in the last 2 chapters, but we see quite a different side to this day here. Here, we read of the provision of a saviour and a promise of holiness and life (Isa 4:2-4). The chapter will also show us a new creation where God dwells and provides shelter (Isa 2:5-6).

In this section, we will read of how God is tearing apart Judah’s support and supply including her leaders, and taking away every indulgence and pride in self. This is meant to lead them to repentance, and to turn them back to God himself. As God pronounces judgment, He also promises that it shall be well for the righteous, offering hope despite the rebellion of his people.

In time, God sends Christ, the perfect king that Judah doesn’t have, the one who is most beautiful and fully righteous. He is the one who doesn’t oppress, who is humble, who will take away our sin and reproach. When all is stripped away, we are led to lean more fully on the good and faithful promises of God in Christ, who died to make us righteous and well.

When you hear the word “judgement”, what comes to mind? Finding ourselves on the right end of the scale of morality at the end of the day? Standing before a judge awaiting our judgement? Does it strike in us a sense of fear, scaring us into submitting to Him?

In this study focusing on Isaiah’s declaration of the Day of the Lord, we will see that judgement is a refining process in which God helps us see who He is, who we are, and how we are in desperate need of Him. The goal is to turn to God in repentance and acknowledge Him as Lord of our lives.

As we’ve been making our way through the book of Isaiah, we’ve been seeing how the prophet addresses God’s people and acts as the mouthpiece of God. He is not saying anything he wants to say, but is saying what God wants.

Isaiah 1 was full of words of judgment for a rebellious and disobedient people, but tucked inside the chapter were some words of hope too. In Isa 1:18-20 we read of how in God’s mercy, God provides and opportunity to reasons with them. He doesn’t discipline them immediately, but slows down to reason. Their sins are obvious, but He calls them to obey His commands, and to do so willingly (Isa 1:19). Otherwise, they will be eaten by the sword (Isa 1:20). God graciously calls them to repentance, and also tells them of the consequences if they persist in their sins.

In Isa 2:1-5, we read some words of hope for Israel.